Home delivery of mail to become reality soon

By Ramesh Mathew/Staff ReporterQ-Post will soon start home delivery of letters and parcels.A senior Q-Post official told Gulf Times that the General Postal Corporation is working round the clock to set up home delivery. The decision to start home delivery comes at a time when there is a fall in the delivery of international postal articles across the world. However, according to top UPU and regional postal officials the flow and quantum of local mail in markets like Qatar continues to be “remarkably good” and there is no reason to believe that there would be any fall in the immediate future.    “The decision to launch home delivery in Qatar is in line with the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) determination, commitment and obligation to serve customers at their doorsteps,” said the official while recalling commitments made by delegations from across the world in Doha during the UPU Congress held between September 23 and October 15.The Q-Post official said that a number of courier and logistics companies, with presence in Qatar, have shown interest in undertaking the home delivery of mail, especially in Doha and its immediate suburbs. The shortlisting of bidders would take place shortly, he added.The delivery of mail will initially be restricted to shops and homes in the city limits, it is understood.   Though it is too early to say when home delivery would eventually take place, the Q-Post official said it should happen in the last quarter of the year.The Q-Post official felt the installation of the billboards and numbers plates on buildings by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning would facilitate trouble-free delivery of mail. The absence of an effective numbering system for buildings until a few years ago was cited as one of the main obstacles to home delivery of mail. It is also learnt that the postal corporation is exploring the possibility of tie ups with many banks across the world to facilitate remittance transfer through the International Financial Services (IFS) channel.